If you said that they all made it onto March’s month-end media disasters list, you’d be right. (If you came up with any other answer to that question, you’re probably a bit twisted.)

Without any further ado, here are the five worst video media disasters of March, along with two fun bonus disasters. Here we go!

5. Singer Sings “Fuck You” At Presidential Fundraiser

I like singer Cee Lo Green. He’s a talented musician, and he’s a fun coach on NBC’s The Voice. But he exercised lousy judgment when he entertained a crowd at an Obama fundraiser by singing the uncensored version of his hit song “Fuck You.” If that wasn’t enough, he also gave the crowd the middle finger.

For the record, I own that song. I like that song. But context matters, and creating an unnecessary distraction for the President made the fundraiser more about Cee Lo than the President’s re-election bid. And by the way, National Review editor Rich Lowry never heard of Cee Lo? Come on, Rich, you’re just a few years older than me. Get with the program!

4. President Obama Gets Caught On An Open Mic

At a meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, President Obama got caught on an open microphone:

President Obama: “On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this can be solved, but it’s important for him to give me space.”

President Medvedev: “Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you … .”

Obama: “This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.”

Medvedev: “I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.”

Sure, most people understand that this type of interaction is common in international diplomacy. But by making his comment with microphones present, President Obama not only gave his Republican rivals an opening, but reportedly put Poland on edge. Plus, the President appeared a bit over-confident about his chances for re-election. He should know better than to make such comments in the presence of microphones.

3. Mitt Romney Advisor Compares Him To An “Etch a Sketch”

When asked whether Mitt Romney would shift toward the ideological center during the general election, top advisor Eric Fehrnstrom answered: “Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch a Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and we start all over again.”

Given that Mr. Romney’s professed commitment to conservative values is already viewed with deep suspicion by many conservative voters, few gaffes could hurt him more. His opponents – Republican and Democrat alike – pounced on the mistake. Expect this gaffe to stick with Gov. Romney through the rest of the campaign.

Trayvon Martin, an African American teenager, was gunned down last month by George Zimmerman, a man of mixed ethnicity (Hispanic and white). Mr. Martin’s death has spawned national outrage and a heated discussion about race, particularly because many signs point to Martin’s innocence – and the shooter’s guilt (Zimmerman has not been jailed).

But Fox News Host Geraldo Rivera cast blame somewhere else – at Martin’s clothing. “The hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was,” Rivera argued. In making that argument, Rivera unfairly shifted the burden of blame away from Martin’s killer – and onto the victim and his parents.

1. Rush Limbaugh’s “Slut” Attack

Bombastic right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh isn’t known for mincing words – but his vicious attack on Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was extreme even by his own loose standards.

Ms. Fluke testified before a Democratic House panel that Georgetown – a Jesuit university – should be required to provide contraceptive care as part of its health insurance plan. Mr. Limbaugh responded by asking if she was a “slut” or “prostitute” who is “having so much sex, it’s amazing she can still walk.”

He didn’t seem to understand that the cost of a woman’s contraceptive care doesn’t correlate directly to the amount of sex she’s having; nor did he factor in the many health reasons women use contraception. But his advertisers understood, and they fled his show in record numbers.

Although Limbaugh made these comments at the end of last month, the controversy reached its peak in March.

This one speaks for itself. Colorado’s Democratic Governor, John Hickenlooper, has a bit of a Freudian slip when introducing his Lieutenant.

Bonus Disaster #2: Herman Cain Releases a New Video

What better way to get attention for your new issues organization than by releasing an ad that murders a rabbit? Or by featuring a girl who should be cast in the sequel to The Shining? Or by casting a man who looks creepily into the camera?

Did you miss the 10 worst media disasters of 2011? Click here to catch up.

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Comments (2)

Wow, rough month but great for a highlights blog like this. It’s always good to be able to learn from the mistakes of others – especially when those mistakes come from the highest levels of the media and political worlds.

What’s amazing is that most of these disasters are so easily preventable: Don’t swear at a political fundraiser, don’t say private things in the presence of a microphone, don’t call women “sluts.” But no matter how many times we repeat such obvious rules, public figures end up on the wrong side of them.

Well, at least that guarantees I’ll have enough fodder for another month-end piece in April!

Thanks for reading,
Brad

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About Mr. Media Training

The Mr. Media Training Blog offers daily tips to help readers become better media spokespersons and public speakers. It also examines how well (or poorly) public figures are communicating through the media.

Brad Phillips is the Founder and Managing Editor of the Mr. Media Training Blog. He is the president of Phillips Media Relations, a media and presentation training firm with offices in NYC and DC.

Before founding Phillips Media Relations in 2004, Brad worked as a journalist with ABC's Nightline with Ted Koppel and CNN's Reliable Sources and The Capital Gang.

Brad tweets at @MrMediaTraining.

Christina Mozaffari is the Senior Writer for the Mr. Media Training Blog. She is the Washington, D.C. vice president for Phillips Media Relations.

Before joining Phillips Media Relations in 2011, Christina worked as a journalist with NBC News, where she produced stories for MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, NBC Nightly News, and The Today Show.